History of Radnor Hunt

Radnor Hunt is today one of the oldest recognized hunts in the United States.  The original property on Bryn Mawr Road (now Darby-Paoli and Roberts Roads) was purchased in 1883; James Rawle was installed as President with Horace B. Montgomery as Master of Foxhounds.  There were no scheduled meets and each member was allowed to hunt the pack whenever he chose.  In 1886 the group became more organized.  The Hunt began scheduling regular meets and was incorporated on September 20 of that year.

Years later, suburban encroachment and growth of the membership led to the purchase of the Gallagher Farm on Boot Road (now Providence Road).  After building stables and kennels, the Hunt moved to its present location in 1931.

Since that time, foxhunting has been conducted three days a week from September through March on farms in the surrounding countryside.  Followers of the sport on any given day will number from about twenty to nearly seventy-five people.

Although foxhunting has been the main activity throughout the years, the club has been the focal point for numerous other activities related to horses and hounds.  The annual spring race meeting has become the most popular of these events.  The first meet, held in 1928 at Chesterbrook, continued at that location until racing was suspended during World War II.  A year after the spring meet was revived in 1946, it was moved to a newly constructed course on the present property.  The spring race meet has been held continuously on this site since 1947.

The annual Bryn Mawr Hound Show has been held at Radnor Hunt since 1956.  This is the most prestigious of all hound shows in North America and draws foxhounds from across the United States and Canada.

A group of interested members of Radnor Hunt organized the first Radnor Hunt Three-Day Event in 1974.  More than fifty starters at the preliminary level was considered a large field.  The phenomenal growth of the sport is evident today, when 150 entries at the preliminary and intermediate levels of competition are selected from over 230 applicants.

Hunter trials have also become an annual event.  Teams of two horses and riders compete for either the fastest or ideal time on a nearly six mile course over the Radnor hunting country.  There are also numerous horse shows, pony shows, gymkhanas and the like at the Radnor Hunt Pony Club grounds, which are conveniently located on acreage adjoining the hunt property.

For over 100 years, Radnor Hunt has been the focal point of an active sporting community, carrying not only its traditional activity of foxhunting, but also encouraging a great many other activities involving horses, horsemanship and good sportsmanship.